For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-268475 discloses a technique for simultaneously displaying an image that has been subjected to a specific image quality adjustment and an image that has not been subjected to the specific image quality adjustment when performing the image quality adjustment. For example, FIG. 5(B) of the above Japanese Patent Publication discloses a technique that enables the image quality adjustment through the steps of compressing an image reproduced by a DVD player, displaying side-by-side a compressed image, having been subjected to a specific image quality adjustment and a source image, to allow the user to compare the images before and after making the image quality adjustment.
In the above Japanese Patent Publication, the images before and after making the image quality adjustment are displayed side-by-side, for example, using the images reproduced by a DVD player. The images are displayed depend on the contents of media (images) that are reproduced by a DVD player. Accordingly, there is a case in which the images displayed side-by-side by use images that are inappropriate for comparing the states of the images before and after making the image quality adjustment. For example, in the case of adjusting a specific color such as red or blue, it is difficult to visually recognize the difference between the images before and after making the color adjustment on the side-by-side display if the images are low in saturation and dark as a whole (for example, the images from the DVD player are of a forest at night). In such a case, it is difficult for a user to confirm whether or not the image quality adjustment is desirable.
Hence, the needs exist for providing a preferable technique for improving the usability with respect to the image quality adjustment by further facilitating the image quality adjustment.